As If a Treasure Lay Before Him

Following behind Miejue, Gu Shaoan stepped onto the mountain path. His stride was steady, and between each measured step, his gaze carefully swept over every inch of the surrounding landscape.

On either side of the stone steps stood woods that had weathered wind and rain, yet grown ever more vigorous. Their thick trunks curled like coiling dragons. The mountain breeze was finally less stingy than it had been at the foot of the mountain, carrying the fragrance of grass and trees as it passed.

Compared with Emei's rugged terrain, Wudang's Heavenly Pillar Peak was much gentler, yet it still exuded a grand and imposing presence.

Wudang disciples occasionally descended the steps from the summit. When they saw Song Yuanqiao and the others, they promptly stepped aside and bowed.

It was livelier here, too.

The disciples coming and going might not have been exceptionally skilled, but they were full of spirit and vigor, radiating an upward-looking energy.

That energy did not come from within them so much as from the Wudang Sect standing behind them.

This was one reason every faction in the martial world sought to rise higher, step by step.

When the faction behind them was powerful enough, its disciples could take pride in it as well.

After seeing so much along the way, Gu Shaoan found the scenery on Wudang Mountain entirely different from what he had seen at Emei.

Yet the sect's atmosphere of flourishing vitality was something Emei lacked.

Of course, if it weren't for Song Qingshu's frequent glances in his direction, Gu Shaoan might have found the scenery on Wudang Mountain even more beautiful.

After entering the True Martial Hall, they found Yu Lianzhou, ranked second among the Seven Heroes of Wudang; Zhang Songxi, ranked fourth; and Mo Shenggu, ranked seventh, already inside.

Miejue glanced over the three men, then involuntarily looked toward the statue of the True Martial Emperor in the hall.

There, on the wall behind the statue's left ear, hung a treasured sword.

Both its hilt and scabbard were gold and silver, covered in intricate patterns. It was luxurious and extraordinary.

The sword and its scabbard had been driven into the wall, with one foot and three inches of the scabbard embedded in it.

It was clearly the work of someone with profound skill, who had forcefully driven the sword into the wall with a burst of inner energy.

Noticing Miejue's gaze, Gu Shaoan glanced over as well. His eyes settled on the Heavenly Sword, and a glimmer flashed in them.

At first, Gu Shaoan had joined Emei not only because of his golden trait, [Abbess's Favor].

Across all of Great Wei, there were few highly skilled masters who were also abbesses, but there were some.

The most famous was the Compassionate Voyage Nunnery. Like Emei, it required its sect leader to renounce worldly life.

Or there was the Mount Heng Sect of the Five Peaks Sword Sect, whose members, from top to bottom, were almost all nuns of varying ages. It would have suited Gu Shaoan very well, too.

But after thinking it over, Gu Shaoan had still decided to go to Emei.

Aside from the fact that it was easier to enter Emei, the Emei Sect also possessed profound martial arts.

Those martial arts were hidden in the treasure map inside the Heavenly Sword.

Following the map would lead him to another map pointing to Peach Blossom Island, as well as the complete Nine Yin Manual and the essence of the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms that Huang Rong and Guo Jing had buried there.

If he could obtain those two martial arts, then even without unlocking the ability to draw from the Achievement Points system, Gu Shaoan believed that with diligent practice, he could eventually make a name for himself in the martial world.

Now that he had seen the Heavenly Sword, Gu Shaoan felt as if a treasure lay before him.

But a moment later, he withdrew his gaze, lowered his eyes, and stood quietly behind Miejue.

A short while later, after both sides had exchanged greetings, Miejue took her seat as the guest of honor. Gu Shaoan and Zhou Zhiruo stood together behind her.

They were quiet and well-behaved.

Song Qingshu, who had been unable to find a chance to speak with Zhou Zhiruo, seemed somewhat restless.

Song Yuanqiao sighed inwardly, blaming himself for having neglected his son's upbringing.

After Miejue had sampled the tea served by the Wudang disciples, Song Yuanqiao finally spoke. "Abbess, in the letter you sent earlier, you proposed that Emei and Wudang disciples exchange pointers. Will this exchange follow the same format as before?"

Miejue set down her teacup and replied evenly, "Of course."

Hearing her answer, Song Yuanqiao took no further issue with it. He turned to Zhang Songxi and said, "Fourth Junior Brother, choose ten third-generation disciples to come and exchange pointers with Emei's talented disciples."

Zhang Songxi wasted no words. He rose, cupped his hands toward Miejue, then quickly left.

Miejue sat in her chair, waiting without impatience.

Yet from time to time, her gaze was drawn to the Heavenly Sword, still embedded in the wall.

Half an hour later, Zhang Songxi brought ten Wudang disciples over.

Song Yuanqiao rose and gestured toward the door. "Abbess, please."

Led by Song Yuanqiao, they arrived at the training ground outside the True Martial Hall.

As a top-tier faction, Wudang had several thousand disciples. The scale of the training ground used for their lessons was easy to imagine.

It was a full hundred zhang across.

Tables and chairs had already been arranged in rows inside the training ground. Several hundred Wudang disciples who had heard the news also gathered around, hoping to watch the two sects' disciples exchange pointers.

Once Miejue and Song Yuanqiao had taken their seats, Mo Shenggu, ranked seventh among the Seven Heroes, stepped forward to preside.

As an Emei disciple and a Wudang disciple took their places in the center of the field, the atmosphere instantly turned solemn. Hundreds of gazes fixed on the pair.

Mo Shenggu stood straight at the side and spoke in a clear voice. "We belong to the Righteous Path. This is an exchange of skills, so stop as soon as one side has the advantage."

After the two disciples nodded to show they understood, Mo Shenggu stepped back twice.

Once they had exchanged formal bows, the tall Emei disciple darted forward first. Just as she neared her opponent, she flicked her wrist. Her long sword rang with a clear, dragonlike note, its blade flowing like a cloud as it thrust toward his wrist. It was the Flowing Cloud Swordplay, a technique from Emei Swordplay.

The Wudang disciple facing her remained composed. Against this swift strike, he moved at an unhurried pace, shifting his body slightly aside to evade the sword tip as lightly as a breeze brushing willow branches. Then he countered with Young Monk Salutes Buddha, a move from Wudang Cotton Palm.

The shifting shadows of his palms seemed to aim for her left shoulder, but concealed a forceful grappling technique.

The two separated and closed in again in an instant. Sword light and palm shadows interwove. Within three or four exchanges, the Emei disciple's sword was drawn off course and her footing grew unsteady. Zhang Songyan's fingertips had already lightly touched her Jianjing acupoint.

Mo Shenggu called out sharply, "Stop! Wudang wins!"

Next, a sturdy Wudang disciple stepped forward. His strength was powerful and his attacks heavy as he unleashed Wudang Long Fist, relying on solid, steady moves.

The Emei disciple who faced him had a nimble sword style and used skill to overcome strength. After thirty exchanges, she gained the upper hand with a swift, agile thrust.

The following bouts ended in mixed victories for both sides.

The Emei disciples' unpredictable swordplay and nimble footwork often let them seize the initiative, with many bouts decided in just a few moves.

But Wudang's disciples had solid foundations and deep reserves of inner energy. They were especially skilled at defending and neutralizing force. In the later bouts, once they had steadied their footing, their profound heritage and Tai Chi Essentials, which used stillness to control movement, let them turn the tide one bout after another.

After watching several exchanges, Gu Shaoan's thoughts stirred.

As expected, Wudang still falls far short when it comes to its foundations.

The Wudang Sect had been established only a few short decades ago.

It had become a top-tier faction almost entirely because of Zhang Sanfeng, the greatest martial artist in Great Wei.

As a result, the younger generation of Wudang disciples was not much stronger than Emei's.

That was why, after Zhang Sanfeng stopped descending the mountain at will, the Wudang Sect had to join forces with Shaolin, Emei, and other orthodox sects in many of its dealings.

If they were facing Shaolin, or some other top-tier faction in the martial world with centuries of heritage, then even as fellow members of the younger generation, it would be extremely difficult for Emei to win a single bout.